Switzerland declares five days of mourning after 40 people die in a bar fire

Swiss authorities have declared five days of mourning in the country after a deadly fire in a bar at a ski resort on New Year's Eve, the newspaper reported. The Guardian.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin announced that the country would observe five days of mourning, calling the fire one of the most traumatic events in the country's history.

"It was a drama of unprecedented proportions," he said, paying tribute to the many "young lives that were lost and cut short."

Switzerland owes it to these young people, whose "projects, hopes and dreams" were cut short, to do everything possible to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again, the president added.

The fire broke out at 1:30 a.m. on Thursday at the Le Constellation bar in the resort town of Crans-Montana, but it is not yet clear what caused the blaze. Some witnesses said it started after sparklers or flares were placed in a champagne bottle.

The chief prosecutor of the canton of Valais, Béatrice Pilloud, said she could not comment on reports that the fire was caused by lit candles.

"An investigation is underway. It will establish the exact circumstances of what happened," she said, adding that it would be checked whether the bar met safety standards and had the necessary number of exits.

On Thursday evening, hundreds of people gathered in silence in the freezing cold, laying flowers and lighting candles. Many of those attending the night vigil knew people who are still considered missing or who sustained serious injuries.

Parmelin, speaking on his first day as president of Switzerland, said some of the survivors had "serious injuries." They were diagnosed with severe burns and lung damage.

The wounded were taken to hospitals in the country and medical facilities in neighboring states. The President of France Emmanuel Macron He said that some of the wounded were being treated in French hospitals.

Some of those affected by the fire came to the ski resort from neighboring countries. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that 16 of its citizens are missing and 12 are among the injured. France stated that eight of its citizens are missing and does not rule out that there are French people among the dead. There is also one Australian among the injured.

Crans-Montana is a resort town with a population of about 10,000 people, located in the canton of Valais in the Swiss Alps. The town relies heavily on European tourists who come to ski, dine in Michelin-starred restaurants, and shop at Moncler and Louis Vuitton stores. The town has about 3,000 hotel rooms.

• On New Year's Eve, ski resort An explosion occurred in a bar in Crans-Montana. Police reported dozens of casualties. According to the prosecutor's office, the explosion was caused by a fire.
• On January 2, investigators began The identification process. The bodies of those killed in a fire at a bar in a ski resort in Switzerland are being identified. This may take several days, as the bodies are badly burned.